INDIGO/Hammond & Playle Architects, LLP

Indigo is a local architecture firm dedicated to integrating art, architecture, and ecology to address the needs of today while preserving the world for future generations. Indigo is committed to delivering buildings and environments that are both cost effective and aesthetically resonant. They create spaces that balance the practical needs of modern life with the reality of limited resources and global climate change. They have served Davis since their establishment in 1999, designing works around town such as the Davis Police Department headquarters and the straw bale bench at the Amtrak train station. They frequently serve the surrounding communities, working with public and private institutions, as well as with private individuals. In 2014, they relocated from their offices in downtown Davis to their new home on 5th Street, revitalizing the old Dairy Queen building into an innovative and energy efficient new office space. In 2015 it won the Innovation Award from the U.S. Green Building council.

In 2018, Indigo's office building was officially Zero Energy Certified by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI).  This award is the only Zero Energy Certification that is based on actual rather than modeled results.  12-months of utility bills with 12-month production report is required. Verification is performed by a third-party auditor.

A few notable facts about Indigo's Zero-Net Energy Office Building project:

-1^st Existing Building Reuse to transform to Zero Energy in Davis.

-2nd project to certify under the Zero Energy program in Davis

-4th project to certify under the Zero Energy program in California

-6th project to certify under the Zero Energy program in 2018, Note: Zero Energy achieved with Electric Vehicle charging included.

This project is setting an outstanding example for the City of Davis & California. Indigo Architects transformed a dilapidated existing building  into an adaptive reuse building. 

Zero net energy or “ZNE” is considered the future of building, as existing buildings United States use 76% of power plant generated electricity. The building sector creates almost half (44.6%) of the CO2 emissions in the United States. By comparison, all of transportation in the U.S. accounted for only 34.3% of total CO2 emissions.

This translates to a bigger problem. As our climate continues to change and we see more extreme summers and winters, these old, inefficient buildings will take more and more energy to heat and cool. This increases the amount of fossil fuels needed to keep the interior climates at a livable temperature compounding the issue.

Indigo focus is to to create climate-adapted buildings by manipulating sunlight, wind, and building materials so the buildings remain functional and comfortable for occupants, while using the least amount of energy as possible. To achieve the Zero Energy Certification at their office, Indigo used what today’s architects would call “passive” heating and cooling strategies, as opposed to relying solely on “active” strategies, such as solar panels to off-set electric bills.  Natural lighting from skylights and ventilation from carefully placed windows allow daytime use without electric power. By combining passive heating and cooling techniques with the latest materials and modeling technologies, Indigo created an office environment that serves human needs with a minimum of wasted resources. Indigo always uses  local, recycled, and renewable materials in all their designs.

2008-02-16 19:13:59   I've always admired the stuff in the windows of this place, and especially the brown lamp mounted on one of their desks. —NickSchmalenberger